The Diary of Jane
by CrystalizedFairy
Summary: Scarlett's had a troubled life. She doesn't remember her birth parents, she lives with her Scottish grandmother, and the English Ministry of Magic is constantly on her back about her dragons. Will James Potter be able to get her through tough times?


**Chapter 1**

James Potter was excited. He had just finished his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and his parents were taking him, Albus, and Lily to muggle London as a treat. The last time he had been there was for his and Fred's seventh birthday. Granddad Weasley had taken the two to a muggle joke shop. He didn't like much of the stuff there, but he thought it was a nice experience.

"James! Go to bed. We're getting up early tomorrow and you need your rest," his mother, Ginny Potter, yelled to him, breaking him out of his reverie. With a sigh, he got ready for bed and shut off the lights. Sleep did not come easily for him, though.

"Jamie, wake up. It's time to go," a voice called. When he didn't reply, a weight pounced on his chest. "Oof! Alright, Lily, I'm up. You're too old to jump on me, you know?" Lily giggled and ran out of the room. As James got changed, he contemplated what streets they would go to. Once he was ready, he followed Lily and Al to the car where his parents waited for them. They drove to King's Cross Station and hopped on a train going south. With everyone else chattering, James stared out the window, a queasy feeling in his stomach.

"You okay, James? You seem a little quiet," his father asked. James turned to Harry.

"Nothing's wrong, Dad. I'm just tired," he said.

"Maybe all you need is some breakfast and a shot of firewhisky," Harry added in an undertone. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Harry," Ginny said disapprovingly.

"Sorry, love. Just trying to cheer him up," Harry said, an arm around James.

"I'll take the firewhisky," Albus said hopefully.

"Absolutely not," his parents said simultaneously. The family erupted into laughter and all was peaceful again. The train stopped and they got off.

They found a small café near the train station and had breakfast. Harry and Ginny both had omelets with toast and coffee. Lily had pancakes with bacon and milk and the boys had waffles with sausages and tea. There was little talk considering everyone was enjoying their food. After breakfast the family split; Harry and the boys went one way and Ginny and Lily went another way. Harry and Albus were pointing out historic buildings and theaters while James was listening with only half an ear. Several times they saw advertisements for a fundraiser going on in a nearby park. James was in a world of his own. His thoughts were jumbled all over the place and he walked without knowing where he was going. He talked when asked a question, but otherwise kept silent.

"James!" He broke out of his reverie.

"What?"

"Are you even listening? Your mother just asked if you wanted to go to the fundraiser they're advertising," his dad said to him. James hadn't noticed his mother and Lily walk up to them.

"Sure. It'll be fun to watch," he said. No sooner had the words left his mouth when Lily started dragging him in the direction of the park. There was a long line at the ticket booth so the Potters had to wait for a while. Several times James heard people talking about someone called the "Scarlett Dragon." He found himself growing increasingly curious as his family reached the booth.

"No more tickets," the man in the booth said. Lily's face crumpled, but she didn't say anything.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked. The man nodded.

"I'm sorry, but there aren't-"

"Sure there are," a voice said. James turned around. Standing in front of the Potters was a girl wearing a black leather jacket. She had flaming red hair with loose curls and porcelain skin. Her eyes were a startling mixture of blue, green, and hazel. Her red tights were covered by jean shorts and her shirt had a band logo in red print.

"Well, if it isn't the Scarlett Dragon herself," the ticket man said, a smile on his face.

"Hey, Slick. How's your day going?" the girl asked.

"Pretty good. You should probably head on in. Chuck and the others are waiting for you."

"Ok. Tell my dad I'm taking them in," the girl said, gesturing towards the Potters.

"Will do. Take care," Slick said. The girl motioned for the Potters to follow her and walked through the gates.

"Thank you . . ."

"Scarlett. My name is Scarlett, and you're welcome. There always seems to be a shortage of tickets; this isn't the first time I've walked people through," Scarlett said. They made their way to the stage and separated ways. Scarlett was nowhere to be found, however, when Ginny turned to thank her. The family found seats near the front and waited for the performance to start. As they sat down, a man walked up to the microphone.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the annual start of summer dance fundraiser sponsored by Laurel Dance Studio! The way this works is three local studios compete to raise the money in donations. The studio that wins decides where the profits go. And now let the competition begin!" The crowd cheered and James zoned out.

"James? James! It's Scarlett!" Lily screamed a while later. James broke out of his reverie.

The girl on stage wasn't Scarlett; this girl had pale brown eyes. The girl was joined by four other girls and five guys. The song they were dancing to was slow, but had a nice melody. They were dancing in pairs, and would change partners periodically. When the song ended, James turned to Lily.

"That wasn't Scarlett, Lils. That girl had brown eyes."

"Well, look who was paying attention," said Albus beside him.

"Shut up, Al," James said as the announcer came on stage.

"Well done, dancers. I can see that you've been working hard. Those were some pretty tough routines to master. So, in honor of your hard work, I've arranged a special performance from a friend of mine." And with that, he left the stage. The crowd cheered, the stage lights dimmed, and Scarlett stepped into the single spotlight. She was in a short black dress with skin colored tights and black ballet flats. Tassels moved every time she took a step and her hair hung loose about her shoulders. Her face was clear of makeup and her eyes shone bright.

The music started; a sweet, haunting melody that filled the ears of the audience. Scarlett danced slow and unhurried, but would sometimes speed up and leap in the air. Nearing the end, she took one final leap.

And she fell.

The crowd gasped, yet the music didn't stop. Scarlett slowly got up in time with the music and continued dancing. She showed no sign of being in pain, only a sad face. As the music faded, she slowly and gracefully slid to the floor. The crowd cheered as Scarlett got up, waved to the crowd, and walked off the stage. The announcer walked to the microphone.

"Thank you to our special guest, the Scarlett Dragon, for that wonderful performance. I'm sure we were all pretty nervous when she fell, but she seems okay now. We're going to take a short break while some late comers make their donations and then we'll announce the winning studio, so don't go anywhere." He walked off stage and the crowd dispersed.

James excused himself to walk around and got up out of his seat. He walked aimlessly around the stage, lost in his thoughts. He didn't notice the pool of blood at his feet. He didn't notice the body until he tripped over it.

"Oof!" It was then that he finally noticed who it was he tripped over.


End file.
